Police drug sweep at EHS comes up clean

Search was a routine exercise

EXETER — Police, working with canine handlers from six different communities, conducted a drug sweep at Exeter High School last week, but found no illegal drugs, according to a press release from Exeter Police.

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By Jeff McMenemy

seacoastonline.com

By Jeff McMenemy

Posted Feb. 14, 2014 at 2:00 AM

By Jeff McMenemy
Posted Feb. 14, 2014 at 2:00 AM

» Social News

EXETER — Police, working with canine handlers from six different communities, conducted a drug sweep at Exeter High School last week, but found no illegal drugs, according to a press release from Exeter Police.

"The police department has received information from a number of different sources to include the school resource officer, parents, students and staff members that illegal drugs and abuse of prescription drugs are available at the school," police said in the press release. "We know that it is a small minority of students that cause these concerns at the school."

The search was conducted in randomly chosen classrooms last Friday at the high school while the school was in a working lockdown, according to the press release.

SAU 16 Superintendent Michael Morgan said Tuesday he was pleased to hear that police didn't found anything in the sweep.

"I was pleased with the results and I was supportive of them doing it," Morgan said. "The results are reinforcing the positive culture we have at the high school."

Morgan doesn't believe there was any specific incident that led police to do the sweep, noting officers conducted a similar operation at the high school about four years ago.

But he acknowledged there are people who use drugs in every community and the presence and use of heroin in New Hampshire seems to be on the rise.

"We know that the drugs are around," Morgan said. "This is a safe and drug-free zone and we want to do anything we can to keep it that way."

After the search was conducted, two canine handlers spoke at law classes to explain to the students "what they do and why they do it," according to the police press release.

"Both school officials and the police have an obligation to students and staff to have a safe, secure and drug-free school environment and we take this obligation seriously," police said in the release. "This behavior is not tolerated in the community and will not be tolerated in the school environment."

Morgan said he has not received any complaints from EHS students or parents about the sweep.

"I haven't had any pushback this year, nor did I have any push back four years ago," Morgan said.